Like Forever Ago
by ofmakebelieve
Summary: While in the city, Will meets a beautiful girl and falls in love.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

I stuff my hands into my coat pockets, continuing down the busy city sidewalk. It's so cold I can see fog each time I exhale. I guess that's what I get for being too cheap to take a cab or something.

But I don't exactly know where I'm going anyway. I mean, I've got this job interview…somewhere around here, but I think I was too high to comprehend where when they gave me the directions over the phone. Hell, I'm surprised I even maintained an intelligent enough conversation for them not to hang up on me.

It's not like I'm really serious about getting the job, anyway. Or any job here. I only came to the city to blow off some steam since Heather left with her stupid boyfriend again without any warning, taking our son with them. When she called me the next day, she said that it's what comes with being a rock star; Alex has to pick up and leave whenever the gig is good.

I think that's bull shit, though. Heather is a mom, and she can't just pull our son around to keep her stupid boyfriend happy. It's not like I could talk any sense into her though. Better than me have tried and failed. Johnny and Tunny and Tunny's new girlfriend and I try to tell her he's bad news, but she doesn't care. Not even the two kids he fathered and abandoned before he met her will change her mind. She thinks she's fucking changed him, but we all know better.

So, I came here. I left, and I'm not coming back until she's back too. And hopefully when she is, Alex won't be there too. A man can dream.

And I need to pay rent. I'm staying with my friend Matt, and so far he's been pretty cool, but after the first two weeks he sent me out to earn my keep. It doesn't compare to smoking pot all day and feeling sorry for myself, but I guess I'll have to survive somehow. And this job seems pretty easy. People bus tables in high school, and I'm an adult. I can do this.

I close my eyes for a second, smiling. I'm going to get shit together, and Heather will see what she's been fucking missing and it will all feel great. I can tell. And I can't fucking wait for it.

Suddenly, I collide into something – someone – I'm not sure. My eyes pop open, and I'm staring down at the most beautiful girl I think I've ever seen. Her brown eyes pull me in so far for a second I forget what's happening and where we are.

"Shit. I'm sorry." I say.

She's bending over to pick up some bright pink flyers, so I get on my knees and help her.

"I mean, I'm really sorry. I'm a fucking idiot. Are you okay?" I ask, handing her a pile of papers once they're all off the ground.

"Really, it's okay." She says, reaching to tuck a few strands of hot pink hair behind her ear. God, she's beautiful. "We were obviously both off in space."

I stand up and reach to help her, but she ignores my hand, smiling slightly.

"So, what were you thinking about?" She asks, straightening out the stack of papers.

"My shitty life," I say with a grin. "And you?"

"Well, I'm putting up flyers for my friend's band. They're playing tonight and they asked if I could spread the word or something." She replies, looking into my eyes. "It starts at nine. But I don't know, there might be a party afterwards. It could go all night."

"That's really cool." I say, stuffing my hands back into my pockets. "I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun."  
"I was inviting you, dipshit." She grins, handing me a flyer. "I can see you're as smart as you are graceful."

I take it, swallowing hard. This girl is really fucking pretty; she's really fucking funny; and I really fucking want to see her again.

"Will you be there?" I ask, probably too quickly.

"Yeah. I'll look for you," She pauses. "So you better come. They're actually not bad, you know."

"I'll be there." I grin, folding the flyer and putting it in my pocket.

She turns to walk away.

"Wait!" I say, and she turns back to me. "I didn't get your name."

"It's not like I give it out to complete strangers." She says, but her tone is light and playful.

"…I guess that makes sense."

"Tonight," She promises, then turns to walk away again. She hesitates. "I like your hair, by the way."

And with that, she's gone.

* * *

I anxiously awaited nine o'clock all day. My interview went great, though, once I found out where it was. And I even made the very responsible decision to not smoke pot. I was a fucking trooper all day, all for the promise to see an amazing girl that might end up not even like me. Or she could be a total psychopath. The possibilities are really endless. And for once, I don't give a shit.

I study the address on the flyer, ingraining that shit into my brain, and then I take off walking. I'm probably going to be late, but it's better that way. It might make me seem a little less desperate.

It's still cold, but I don't even think about it. I just think about the beautiful girl with the streak of pink hair and gorgeous brown eyes that didn't look at me like I was a kicked puppy. Literally fucking every girl back home looks at me like the world's saddest kicked puppy, like I've been fucking shat on, and that's all there is to me. It really takes a lot out of dating for a guy.

And this girl knows nothing about all of that crap. And maybe I will end up telling her, but it will be on my terms, and she won't just automatically side with Heather or pity me. Hopefully she'll understand. I really want her to. I really need this.

When I get there, I hear loud guitars and voices screaming what might be song lyrics. That's how I know I'm at the right place. It's what you'd expect from a band called Brain Fries, I guess.

They're on a small stage outside, in a park, and it's pretty dark. My heart drops, thinking I might not be able to find the girl. Maybe I won't even recognize her. My brain could be turning her into someone a lot prettier than she actually is just because I'm so lonely. Or she could look different at night.

I scan the crowd without any luck. So, I stand near the back, just watching everyone. It isn't so bad. I might feel better if I had a beer in my hand, but I'm trying to hold out for this girl, and the night isn't over yet.

Just when all seems lost, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey," She says, smiling at me. "Sorry I took so long. I almost couldn't recognize you without bumping into you first."

I laugh. It's a nervous laugh, and I'm not proud of it.

"So, have I earned your name yet?" I ask after a moment, keeping my eyes trained on hers.

"I don't know. I mean, you're here. But you could still murder me." She sits down on the ground, crossing her legs.

I sit beside her, laying my arms over my knees.

"Shit, you're onto me." I say lightly, and then I turn to face her. "What if I tell you my name?"

"That's a start." She says, picking at the grass between her legs.

"My name's Will." I tell her, watching her closely.

"I like that." She says, plucking some grass from the ground. "It's simple. What do you do?"

"I'm between jobs right now, I guess. Now do I get your name?" I plead, running a thumb over her hand.

"Why do you want it so badly?" She asks, watching my hands.

"It's hard to think about someone so much and not even know their name." I reply, reaching to take her hand. "I'm not going to steal it or anything. And I wouldn't murder you. Prison doesn't sound too inviting."

She watches our hands. There's a beautifully confused look on her face, and she laces our fingers.

"Krys." She starts as she stands up, pulling me with her. "Krystina. That's my name. It's kind of hard to forget."

I grin, letting her pull me.

* * *

Somehow, we end up at her apartment. At first we just talk, mostly about her. I ask her everything about herself and I love everything she tells me. I know she's not lying or anything, and I know that she's probably perfect for me.

"So…" I start after we've been silent for a while. "Do you always invite the guys you bump into in the street up to your apartment?"

"Only the cute ones," She whispers, and I freeze, letting my thumb slowly move to caress her cheekbone.

"You think I'm cute?" I ask softly, but she doesn't say anything.

It feels like a game. We're staring into each other's eyes, hopefully both feeling overwhelmed with how much we like each other, and waiting to see who'll lose and crack first.

I don't care if it's me, I think, as I lean forward and brush my lips to hers. She returns the kiss almost immediately, pulling me against her. I kiss her intensely, letting a moan slip from my lips. I've never felt anything like this before.

I pull her onto my lap, letting my hands graze her thighs. She nibbles on my lower lip and tugs on my hair and I moan again. I keep moaning and moaning and she keeps being more and more amazing. That's really the only way to describe it.

And I don't know what to do with my hands. What did I do with my hands when I made out with Heather? I mean, I touched her legs a lot. I think she liked that. But we were both virgins and we liked anything. I don't know how hard it will be to please Krys.

I hesitate, sliding my hands under her shirt, and she stops kissing me. _Shit_. I guess that wasn't what I was supposed to do with my hands.

"I'm sorry. It's just been a while since I've-"

"No, it's not you." She reassures me, pecking my lips. "This is really great. But the last guy I was with… He fucked me up. I don't want to just jump into nothing, you know?"

"Neither do I." I say quickly, laying my hands on her waist. "I can't do that. I mean, I… I have a son. He's almost one and his name is Elton. I want to be a really good dad, you know? I don't want to mess around with girls."

"…You do? Where is he now? Oh my God, you're not cheating on your wife or something with me, are you?" She quickly gets off of my lap, straightening her clothes.

"No, no! He's with his mom, and I don't know where they are. She's off with her boyfriend. He's going on some fucking tour thing and they took off last minute. She didn't even tell me until she was gone, so I came to the city to get away for a while."

She studies me, moving back to me. "So you're a dad." She starts, laying her head on my shoulder. "No wife, no girlfriend… Any boyfriends?"

I laugh, nuzzling my face against the top of her head.

"So you don't just want to make out with me or something?" She asks, taking one of my hands. I squeeze hers.

"Well, I _do_ want to make out with you." I tell her, grinning. "But I also want to, like, date you. If you're okay with that. I know the whole kid thing really freaks some people out and I don't want to be with you if that's the case."

"No." She says quickly, looking up at me. "I don't care. You seem really nice. You seem worth it."

I pull her onto my lap as I feel my heart soar.

A beautiful, funny, caring girl thinks I'm worth it. Things might just be turning around.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

"I don't know." I say, laying my head against Krystina's. "They all just sort of look like cotton balls to me."

She laughs, turning to look at me with those big, brown eyes. I think I feel my heart stop for a second.

"Will, you're taking the fun out of it." She says, reaching for my hand. "The whole point of the game is to use your imagination."

I laugh, pulling her across the grass so she's pressed against me. I close my eyes and nod.

"Okay, I'm imagining you and me." I tell her, letting my hands roam her back. I gently kiss her shoulder.

"I think this is a different game." She says, laying a hand on my chest. "But at least you're putting a little more effort into this one. So, what are we doing?"

"Going on a date," I say as I open my eyes, looking into hers. "I mean, a three week anniversary is a _very_ big thing and-"

"Oh my God, you've been counting." She giggles, trailing a few kisses up my shoulder and neck.

"I just happened to notice this morning when I checked my calendar." I run a hand through her hair. "Anyway, that isn't the point. You and I are on an extraordinary date. I mean, this is probably the best date you've ever been on."

"I like this one already." She says, nuzzling her head into my neck.

"And you keep looking at me and thinking things like _"My God, is that fox of a man my boyfriend?"_ You know, the usual stuff you think about when you're with me." I continue, which earns me another priceless giggle. "But, this isn't one of those dates where I'm just trying to get into your pants, right? I actually have something to tell you."

"Wait, where is the date at?" She asks quickly, opening her eyes to look up at me. "I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be picturing us."

"Right! It's all about the location with you, isn't it? I'm just about to pour my heart out…" I grin, stroking her hair. "We're eating frozen yogurt. We just saw your favorite band ever. And then I look at you and I feel something really weird."

"Is it a boner?" I can tell she's asking this with a smile.

I kiss her cheek. "No. Well, maybe. Probably. But that's not the big thing. I look at you and feel something in my heart that I've really never felt before."

"Shit." She pecks my lips.

"And I'm not a hugely emotional guy, but with you everything is different. So I think, why not? I'll pour my heart out to my amazing girlfriend." I say lowly, twirling her hair around my fingers.

"And what do you say?" She asks, leaning her forehead on mine.

I lean forward slowly, pressing my lips to her ear and whisper a quiet "I love you." It's hard to believe a human being can be so quiet. But then, Krystina outdoes me. She's completely silent, and I wonder if she didn't hear me. And then I'm terrified that she _did_ hear me and doesn't feel the same way and doesn't know how to say so.

"I-" I start, but she cuts me off with a kiss.

She lays her hands on my cheeks, kissing me gently, and I kiss back with a smile on my lips. It feels like forever, holding her there, feeling the sparks shoot between us, and I don't think I've ever been happier in my life.

She pulls away grinning from ear to ear, then lays her forehead on mine again. She starts to play with my hair as she catches her breath.

"I love you too," She whispers back.

And then we go back to watching the clouds.

xxx

I'm lying in bed that night when my phone rings. I grin, hoping that it's Krystina as I pick it up, but it isn't. _JOHNNY_ is lighting up the screen. It's been a while since I've heard from him.

"Hello?" I say as I pick up the phone.

"Dude, she's fucking back." He responds immediately.

"With or without Alex?" I ask, rolling my eyes as I sit up.

"With. Unfortunately. Anyway, I know you said to call you when she got back, so…" He trails off.

"Fuck. I've been having a great time without her in my life." I run a hand through my hair, thinking about Krystina and Elton. "Look, I met this girl."

"And this is the first I'm hearing of it?" Johnny asks.

"Well, she's awesome. And I really don't want things to end." I look down at my right hand, where Krystina drew a small black heart earlier this afternoon. It's already starting to fade.

"Just bring her with you. I mean, that's what Tunny did and Jillian doesn't seem totally miserable with Jingletown. Her relationship is another story…"

Johnny's quiet for a moment, and I assume it's because Tunny's in the room with him. I wait until he returns to the phone, thinking it over. I'd fucking love to take her with me. But I don't know if she'd love to come.

"Anyway, yeah, dude. Bring her here. It's not like she has to stay or anything. And Heather's going to start bitching if you don't get back. I mean, she already kind of has, but we're sticking up for you, man."

"I'll ask her. And I'll see you later." I say before pressing end.

I guess this is it.

xxx

I wrap my arms around Krystina from behind, lifting her slightly. She giggles, trying to get down.

"I really hope you're Will, otherwise you should know that I carry ma-"

"It's me." I say, kissing down her neck as I set her down. "Sorry I'm a little late. I was at work."

"That's okay." She says as she turns around to face me. "I just got here too."

"Oh, thank God." I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me. "Do you want to meet my son?"

"Of course," She says almost immediately.

"Well, my friend called and told me that Heather came home last night, so… If you wanted to come home with me for a while you could meet everyone." I kiss the crown of her head.

"I would really like that." She says, taking a step back to look up at me. "As long as you're sure."

"With you," I say, lifting her into my arms, "I'm positive.

xxx

One week later, Krystina is seated beside me on a bus ride home to Jingletown. Our hands are intertwined and she's alternating between reading a book and asking me questions about my friends and family. I think she might be nervous, and that's such an amazing feeling.

"So, Alex is Heather's boyfriend. And you don't like him. It's not because you still have feelings for her or anything, right?" She asks, playing with my fingers.

"I used to. I mean, not when we met, but when I first met her I partly hated him because I still loved her. But that went away when I remembered what she was like. I just don't like him because I don't think he's good for Elton, or for her. I still care about her. But I don't have feelings." I wrap an arm around Krystina, kissing her head.

"That makes sense." She closes her eyes. "Will you tell me about your other friends?"

"Well, there's Tunny. And, I don't want you to freak out when you meet him, so I'm telling you now that he only has one leg."

"Was he born like that?"

"He lost it in the military." I run a hand through her hair. "His girlfriend's name is Jillian. She's probably the nicest person you could possibly meet. I think she'll like you."

Krystina grins, closing her book. "Okay."

"Then there's J-"

"Wait, who did you say we were staying with again?" She interrupts me and I grin.

"Well, I'm planning on seeing if we can crash with Theo, but if not, either Heather and Alex or Tunny and Jillian. There's another friend we could stay with, but it might weird him out. He just got out of a relationship last year and it still kind of hurts him to see other people happy. He likes to joke about it though."

"That sucks. I know how that feels." She frowns, and then glances up at me and smiles again. "Not so much anymore, though. You saved me, Will. I know that sounds totally fucking stupid, but you did. You changed everything."

I nod quickly. "You were the exact same for me." I twirl some of her hair around my finger. "You make me better."

She grins widely at me, and then she goes back to reading.

xxx

Tunny and Jillian pick us up from the bus station. I lead Krystina to Tunny's piece of shit car (which Jillian now drives due to his lack of a leg,) throwing our luggage into the trunk while Jillian fusses over Krys.

"You're probably the prettiest person I've ever seen." Jillian says, looking Krystina over. "And I really love your hair. Was it like that before you met Will? Because that would be really romantic."

I laugh as I listen to their conversation, and Tunny stops to talk to me before I get into the car.

"Hey, I'm really proud of you, man." He says, patting me on the back.

I nod, glancing at Krystina. She smiles widely back.

"I don't think I've ever been happier." I admit, turning back to look at my friend. "She just turned everything around."

"Does Heather know about her?"

I roll my eyes.

"Honestly, I couldn't think of a single reason to tell her. She runs all over the world with her asshole of a boyfriend without so much as texting me."

"Okay, but she might use this as an excuse to go off on you."

"Let her. I don't fucking care what she has to say anymore." I reply, walking around the car to open the door for Krystina. She smiles at me and gets in, sliding into the middle seat. I sit beside her and pull her against me, closing my eyes.

"I love you." She says quickly, before Tunny and Jillian get into the car.

"I love you too," I reply, and I don't care if they've heard me.

Jillian starts to drive, holding Tunny's hand across the console.

And for once in my life, with Krystina in my arms, I don't feel out of place.

I feel like I'm right where I belong.

xxx

"Once you moved out, Theo couldn't handle the rent. He's living with his mom now." Tunny informs us as I play with Krystina's fingers.

"Why didn't he just get a new roommate?" I ask.

"I guess he wasn't ambitious enough to find anyone else."

"So, do you guys have any room?" I ask, glancing at Krystina.

"Yeah, you guys are always welcome with us." Jillian says quickly, taking a second away from the rode to smile at Tunny.

"The shitbag who was staying with us while you were gone bailed." Tunny grins, and I know he's talking about Johnny.

"Where'd he go?" I ask, squeezing Krystina's hand.

She's busy staring out the window.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while. He might be staying with his mom too or something. But he got a job."

"Oh yeah?"

"He mops the floors at the 7Eleven now." Jillian says.

"Our little boy's moving up in the world." I say with a grin.

"What do you do, Krystina?" Jillian asks, and I give her a thankful look through the rear view mirror.

"Well, I have friends who pay me to get the word out on their bands and shows and stuff. And sometimes I help set up or plan the parties afterwards." She says after a moment, and I pull her closer. "That's kind of how I met Will."

"That's so cute." Jillian says.

"How did you meet Tunny?" Krystina asks, and I smile at her.

"Well, I was his nurse. We're pretty sure I was the last face he saw before the anesthesia because he was hallucinating about me for days. And then, of course, I bathed him, which is when we _really_ fell for each other. There's nothing more romantic than that." Jillian grins, and for the first time I feel happy hearing about how they happened.

"So, do you want to go to Heather's first?"

"If she has Elton." I respond, laying my head on Krystina's shoulder.

She's been pretty quiet throughout the whole car ride, and I'm afraid of the reason why. I'm hoping it's just because she feels shy, but I decide I'll talk to her about it later.

A few minutes later, we're outside of Heather's apartment. Krystina is still being really quiet. I lean my head against hers.

"Is everything okay?" I whisper.

She nods quickly. "I'm just _really_ happy."

I open the car door and get out, reaching for her hands. I pull her out of the car and lace our fingers.

"Now that you've met the best of my friends, I guess it's time for you to meet the worst."

"I'm sure they're not _that_ bad." She says quietly.

"I guess you'll see for yourself."

When we knock on their door, it's opened instantly. Heather's standing before us, holding Elton in her arms.

"Thank God you're _finally_ fucking here." She says as she hands Elton over to me. "Alex and I have to go. He has this gig downtown and there's a guy coming who could _totally_ sign him and make him famous and shit. Wait, who's this?"

"This is my girlfriend, Krystina." I say, turning to Krystina. "Krystina, this is Heather."

"Oh my God… You know what? I don't have time for this shit. We literally should have left, like, ten minutes ago." Heather rolls her eyes and yells back into her apartment. "Alex, come on!"

Heather's boyfriend pushes through us, guitar in hand.

"Thanks a lot, dude!" He says without looking at us, making his way to his car. He stuffs his guitar in the back seat and gets in.

"Can you bring him back in the morning? Alex and I kind of wanted the night to ourselves to… You know…" Heather asks, but she's already walking away, and Alex is honking the horn. "Thanks for finally coming through! We'll talk about the whole girlfriend thing tomorrow. She gets in the car and they drive away quickly.

"See, I told you." I say softly, kissing Elton's forehead.

Krystina looks mesmerized, and she slowly rests her palm on his head, caressing his forehead with her thumb.

"He's beautiful." She says.

"And so are you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

"He's so calm." Krystina says, rocking him in her arms. "I thought babies were supposed to cry all the time."

I grin at her. "So did I, actually. He's a blessing." I stand, opening the diaper bag we took from Heather's apartment before we left.

I pull out a bottle, filling it with formula powder. Jillian said she would go warm up some water for us about ten minutes ago, but she may have gotten caught up with Tunny along the way.

"And he looks just like you." She kisses his forehead, glancing up at me. "I can see what you meant about Heather and Alex now. I mean, what were they going to do if you hadn't showed up on time? Leave him there alone?"

"They probably would have taken him with and ignored him or something. Sometimes Heather likes to just give him his pacifier and pretend he's not around. She loves him; it just gets to be too much for her. And Alex is a terrible influence." I wrap my arms around Krystina's waist, pulling her against me.

"He doesn't really seem like the rock star type. He's too pretty." She sits on my lap, cooing at Elton.

"Well, yeah. His music is really pretty, too. The guy doesn't have many redeeming qualities. But, he did convince her to come back here. Something about how whether or not I abandon Elton should be my choice." I tell her, stroking her hair. "I was in a bad place when Heather left, but I have changed. And I think I deserve to know my son."

"You definitely do. I bet you're a really great dad." She leans against me, keeping her eyes on Elton.

"I hope so." I say, and we're silent for a moment.

Then, Jillian comes into the room with a measuring cup full of water. I can't help but notice that her hair is a little messy.

"Here!" She takes the bottle from me, pouring the water into it. "Sorry, something must be wrong with our microwave. It just wouldn't get hot."

"I'm sure that's what it was." I say with a smile, and she blushes, handing me the bottle back.

I screw the lid on and shake it up. Jillian sits beside Krystina and I and starts to talk to her about Elton.

"Do you want to feed him?" I ask, holding the bottle out to my girlfriend.

She nods and takes it, positioning it into his mouth. She's wearing a look of pure fascination as he begins to drink it. She leans her head against mine, studying Elton carefully.

"He's probably the cutest baby I've ever seen." Jillian says, running a hand through his hair. "Tunny and I have considered stealing him from Will and Heather all the time. We just love him so much."

"Why don't you steal him from Heather and Alex and then we can share?" I ask, watching my son closely.

Jillian laughs, shaking her head.

"Heather isn't so bad. It's just Alex. You can tell he doesn't really care about anything." She pauses. "Except for himself."

"She was a lot easier to stand before he came into the picture." I say.

"I guess I wouldn't know." Jillian says, standing up. "I'm going to go see if Tunny needs any help cooking. If you need anything just yell for me, okay?" And with that, she walks back into the kitchen.

I smile widely, because the only things I need are sitting in my lap right now.

* * *

Somehow, Tunny talks me into driving him to the 7Eleven so he can pick up a few things. Jillian got Elton to sleep, and she and Krystina seemed happy enough to talk to each other for a while.

"So, how long have you known her?" Tunny asks, looking at the window.

"About a month," I say, gripping the steering wheel. "It's real though, Tunny. She's it for me."

"I can see that." Tunny says with a nod. "Jillian and I hadn't known each other for very long and she came all this way for me. I understand that."

"She's perfect. And she fucking loves me. I mean, she probably deserves better. But I fucking love her too." I say quietly, messing with the controls on the radio for a second.

"Have you guys done it yet?" He asks with a smile.

"A few times. It's so different than with Heather. It's real. When you really love someone… Shit, it's amazing." I park the car when we get to the 7Eleven, turning to look at Tunny.

"You're like a completely different person. Don't take that the wrong way. You just seem a lot happier." Tunny comments as he reaches to unbuckle his seatbelt.

"I am." We're silent for a moment, and just as I'm about to get out, Tunny stops me.

"I think I'm going to propose to Jillian." He says quickly. "I can't really afford the big ring or anything right now, but I was thinking I'd buy a plastic one from those little machines for her until I can."

"That's great, man. I really think she'll like that." I say seriously, and then I get out of the car.

Tunny lifts his prosthetic leg out first, and then follows with the real one, hoisting himself up. He closes the door and smiles tiredly at me.

We walk inside, into a mostly empty 7Eleven. I breathe in, taking a second to think of all the memories we had here. Then, I follow Tunny down the aisle towards the beer, and I see a familiar brown-haired head staring down at the floor, mop in hand.

"Shit," I say, and Johnny quickly looks up at me.

"Mother fucker," He grins, making his way towards me. "I didn't know you were back already."

"We just got here today. I was going to call you sometime tomorrow to meet up." I respond, leaning against one of the clear fridges.

"We? That girl from the city came?" Johnny asks, leaning his mop against some shelves. I nod quickly. "That's fucking awesome. I can't wait to meet her."

"I think you'll like her." I say, looking between my friends. "She's really cool. Her name's Krystina."

Johnny looks confused for a second, but then he shrugs.

"Dude, that's cool. I'm just glad you're happy."

"Wouldn't it be funny if she was the girl Johnny dated last year?" Tunny says with a smile.

I laugh, shoving him slightly.

"What are the odds that would happen? That's, like, a one in a million chance." I say, still laughing slightly.

"Nah, this girl was _crazy_. I mean, totally psychotic. I just hung around because she was hot, but in the end I had to go. Then she wrote me this fucking letter about how she never even liked me. It was pathetic." Johnny says nervously, picking up the mop again. "Will wouldn't go for someone like that."

"Did you ever remember her name?" Tunny asks.

"I really just fucking can't. I was high basically all the time, and it wasn't mostly just about sex with us. I don't know if she ever even told me her name."

"Well, Krystina isn't like that at all. She's perfect. We could meet up sometime tomorrow?" I offer.

"Yeah, come over here sometime in the morning. I should be hanging out." Johnny says as he begins to mop the floor.

"Okay, we'll see you then." I respond, moving further down the aisle.

I can't wait for everything.

* * *

That night, Krystina and I are laying on the pull out mattress in the living room together, Elton in a small basket-crib thing close to it.

For a while, we're silent, and it's amazing to listen to the two of them breathing in rhythm. The two things I love most about my life, quietly telling me they're still here, and not going anywhere. I hold Krystina against me, and she lays her chin on my shoulder.

"I was with this guy last year." She starts, and I hug her even tighter. "And I liked him a lot. I think… I might have even loved him a little bit."

"I understand." I say, tracing shapes on her lower back.

"He never told me how he really felt about me. I knew he liked me a lot, but he wouldn't say much else. And I remember thinking to myself that that was it. That I'd found that person you spend your whole life looking for." She gently strokes my hair. "But he was an asshole. He did a lot of drugs. Pretty much anything he could get his hands on. And at first it was fun. But then he got scary. He tried to kill himself right in front of me…" Krystina exhales slowly, her voice cracking. "I tried to stay, but I couldn't. I was so scared. I left him, and I haven't really heard from him since. There was this letter he wrote but I ripped it up. I tried to forget what it said."

"He was an idiot." I say softly, rubbing her back. "And I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I remember when Heather left me, I was really depressed and I couldn't stop drinking and sitting on my ass. I felt like I had lost everyone."

"Did you see someone about it?" She asked, pulling away to look at me.

"No, but you saved me, Krystina. I don't feel it anymore." I whisper and she frowns.

"I'm glad that I make you happy, but I can't be the only thing that's making you better."

"Okay, I understand." I lie, holding her against me.

Because she's the only thing in the whole world that could ever make me better.

* * *

The next morning, after we've dropped Elton off with Heather and Alex, the four of us drive to the 7Eleven to meet up with Johnny.

"He's one of my best friends. I bet you'll like him." I tell Krystina, laying my hand on her thigh.

"Jillian still kind of doesn't." Tunny chimes in, playing with her fingers.

"The first thing he did when we got here is try to attack you. I mean, I get he was pissed at you but that really freaked me out." Jillian says, frowning. "But I do like him."

"He is kind of a dick," I agree, laying my head on Krystina's shoulder. "But that's why we like him."

"Okay, we're here." Jillian says as she parks the car. "But we're not spending more than an hour here. It can get kind of boring, and there's other shit we can do."

We all pile out of the car. I see Johnny standing outside the door, smoking a cigarette. I point him out to Krystina, and her face falls, turning pale.

"What did you say his name was again?" She mumbles, gripping onto my arm.

"I didn't. That's Johnny-" I start, but he's already met her gaze.

I don't understand what's happening, but they both look like they've just seen a damn ghost.

"Fuck." He says, loud enough for all of us to hear. "It's her."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

"Shit." Krystina starts, turning her back on Johnny. "Shit, shit, shit. _Shit_."

"Krystina, what's wrong?" I ask, pulling her into my arms. "Do you know Johnny or something?"

"He's the guy!" She nearly shouts, her eyes watering. "The one I was telling you about last night. Shit. If I had known he was your best friend…" She starts, but I quickly cut her off.

"Krystina, I love you. Please… Please don't." I hesitate, feeling a lump in my throat. "Please don't tell me you'd just give me up like that."

"You don't understand what he did to me, Will." She whispers, staring at my chest. "You know that I love you too. But I never wanted to see him again. You have to understand that."  
"We can go. Honestly, Krystina, we can leave right now and go wherever you want. You don't have to see him again. Just please don't cut me out of the picture too."

Her eyes slowly meet mine and she sniffles, pulling me close to her.

"I want to know you. I want to know your friends and your family and your son."

"…Johnny's an asshole. He's an asshole for ever doing anything to hurt you, Krystina." I take her face in my hands gently, pressing my lips to hers.

We melt into each other, letting the world slip away. So what? My girlfriend and my best friend have history. I don't give a shit. I told this girl every single fucked up thing about me, and she never once backed out. She never looked at me like a kicked puppy. She stayed, and I'm going to stay too; I'm going to stay even if that means losing Johnny as a friend. She's worth it.

I run a hand into her hair, and hear a loud scoff. I lift my eyes to see Johnny making his way over to us. Krystina breaks the kiss, turning around to face him. I wrap an arm around her out of habit.

"So, you found a way to ruin my best friend's life too, I see." Johnny says harshly, but I can see his eyes are pleading with her.

It's like he's really saying something like _'Why are you here for him and not me?'_ I frown, tightening my grip on Krystina.

"Shut the fuck up, Johnny. Honestly. You're full of shit." I say, looking him in the eye. "You made that shit about her up. That's sick. You're sick."

He's quiet for a moment. He takes a deep breath, and it feels like he's the only person in the world who's making any noise. We watch him closely: inhale, exhale, repeat. His eyes flicker over to Krystina's and he straightens up, fixing his jacket.

"I want to talk to her. That's all." Johnny says, keeping his eyes locked with Krystina's.

"Krys, is that-" I start, but she cuts me off.

"Just give us a minute." She whispers, walking a few paces away. Johnny follows after her quickly, like a fucking dog.

I try to take deep breaths and distract myself from watching them. They're talking quietly; Krystina seems calm and Johnny seems like he's about to blow up.

"Are you okay?" Jillian asks, laying a hand on my arm.

"You have to admit, this is kind of funny." Tunny says with a smile, but it falls as soon as Jillian shoots him a glare. "I mean, it's not funny. I'm sorry."

"Don't you fucking see it? This is fate, telling us that _we_ should be together." I hear Johnny nearly yell at Krystina.

Now _I'm_ about to explode.

I ball up my fists and turn around, starting to walk down the sidewalk, away from the mess. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything was supposed to go perfectly here, and now it's complete shit. Krystina will never want to stay here with me. She probably won't want to stay with me at all. That's fucking terrifying.

"Will!" Krystina says, suddenly appearing beside me. She's panting slightly, and she reaches out to stop me. "Where the fuck are you going?"

"You seemed busy with your fucking _soulmate_ over there." I mumble, tugging a hand through my hair.

"You can't blame this on me, Will. You can't be mad at me for what I can't control." She says, crossing her arms.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm pissed at him. How the hell did he fuck things up with you? …And now he just wants to take you from me like it's nothing?"

"It's not like you _own_ me." She says quietly. "But I love you. And you love me. And that has to count for something. You have to trust me. Please."

"I do." I whisper, biting my lip. "It's him I'm worried about."

"Don't worry. Don't think about it." She says, laying a hand on my cheek. "Why would I choose to run after you if you had anything to worry about?"

"I choose you." I say quickly, pulling her into my arms. "I will always choose you."

* * *

"So, you've only known her for a few weeks but you're already in love." Heather says, taking a sip of coffee. "_And_ she's Johnny's infamous ex. Sounds like it's _destiny_."

"You don't get to say shit like that, Heather. You don't even know her." I say, leaning over the stroller to check on Elton.

"You say shit about Alex all the time!" Heather protests, setting her cup down.

"Yeah, but I _know_ Alex, and he's a dick," I reply, lifting Elton out of his seat. "You haven't even had a conversation with Krystina. How the hell is it even fair for you to _make_ me meet up with you just so you can shit on my girlfriend?"

"It's called an intervention, asshole. You don't know what you're getting into, and I doubt she'll be a good influence on Elton-"

"You're such a hypocrite." I roll my eyes, kissing Elton's forehead. "At least Krystina's not making me pack up and leave last minute with my kid every other week."

"Alex loves what he does, Will. I have to be supportive. At least his job is a little more stable than whatever it is Krystina does. Is there even a name for that?"

"Bull shit," I say, gently setting Elton back down. "I honestly can't stand you, Heather. What the hell happened to you?"  
"_You_ happened to me, Will! You always act like the victim. Don't you think it was hard for me, too? I _had_ to go. You were treating me like shit."

"I understand that, and I'm sorry. I was in a bad place then, and if I could change how I acted, I would. But, Heather, you turned around and found someone just as bad. Maybe even worse."

"At least he doesn't ignore me." She says, pulling Elton towards her.

"Oh, he doesn't? The only person he's invested in is himself. Don't you worry about what will happen when he gets bored?"

"Will, you don't understand what it's really like. You're just watching us from the outside."

"Well, isn't that what it's like with Krystina and me?"

* * *

Later that day, I'm sitting on the couch at Tunny's, drinking a beer. Jillian took Krystina out for the day, hoping to relieve some of the tension between everyone. We haven't really talked about it. I don't know if we're trying to pretend it didn't happen, or if we just don't know what to say.

It's pretty crazy, though, that out of everyone in the city I could have fallen in love with, it was my best friend's ex girlfriend. Maybe Johnny was right – it's fate. Hopefully just for her and me, though.

But at least she didn't bail as soon as she found out. Not that I would have expected her to. I know that she's in this just as much as I am. No one can come between that.

"So, how do you think this is all going to work out?" Tunny asks, taking a drink. "I mean, now that you have to stay here. Are you just going to do the long distance thing, or…"

"We've only been together for a month." I sigh, closing my eyes. "I want her to stay here with me, but it's only been a month. And she loves the city. That's where she belongs. I don't think she would choose me over it at this point. Maybe one day, though."

"You're not going to ask her or anything?" Tunny lays back, playing with the tub on his beer can.

"…If I was a little more of a dick, I'd just go back to the city until we were ready to settle down. But, I can't do that to Heather, even though she does it to me all the time. I can't lose Elton. It's not fair, but she can take him away from me if I fuck up, but I can't take him away from her. No matter what."

"Maybe you could look into getting a custody agreement. I'm sure your parents would help you out."

"Heather would never go for that. She likes having this power over me. It's fucked up." I shake my head.

We're silent. After a moment, we hear a knock on the door. I really hope it's Krystina, I think, as I sit up. The door swings open, revealing Johnny. I roll my eyes and turn back to the TV.

"Jesus Christ," I say, balling my fists, digging my nails into my palms.

"In the flesh," He replies, walking inside.

He sits on the couch between Tunny and me. I scoot away quickly.

"I don't have cooties." Johnny says plainly. "And if I did, you already would have got them from our girlfriend." He smiles, looking at me. "Your girlfriend. Sorry, I forgot."

"You're being an asshole." Tunny says, keeping his eyes on the TV.

"I just don't get why you're still with her." Johnny says harshly. His voice makes it sound like he's close to tears, but his face gives nothing away. "Are you obsessed with my sloppy seconds?"

"You dated Heather for two days in the fourth grade. That doesn't fucking count."

"It was the best relationship she's ever been in, so it kind of _does_ count." He retorts, running a hand through his hair. "I love her."

"Heather?" I ask hopefully. I don't need this shit. I don't need him ruining what I have with the best person I've ever met.

"Kristy." He says quickly.

"It's _Krystina_." I get up, walking into the kitchen for another beer. "And you don't love her. Maybe you did once, but you don't get to keep doing it. You've been a dick. She deserves better than you."

"What? And she doesn't deserve better than you?" Johnny asks hotly.

"Of course she fucking does! She deserves _everything_. But at least I know that. At least I'm trying." I look at the beer in my hand for a second before putting it back in the fridge. "At least I can remember her fucking name."

* * *

"Are you cold?" I ask, gently rubbing Krystina's back. "I can find us another blanket."

She shakes her head, laying her cheek against mine.

"Am I crazy? Or do you hear someone screaming too?" She asks, closing her eyes tight.

"It's Tunny." I tell her, slipping my hands under her shirt, laying them on the small of her back. "He has some really intense nightmares."

"About losing his leg?"

I nod slowly, tracing shapes on her skin.

"Jillian will probably get up and get him a glass of milk soon. I think they're both pretty used to it. They don't talk about it or anything."

"I think that's… Romantic." Krystina whispers and I grin, rubbing her back gently.

After a few minutes, the noises coming from their room subside. I watch the light in the kitchen turn on, staying that way for a few minutes. I gently kiss my way across Krystina's temple until the light goes off again. Then, I exhale slowly, removing one of my hands from the place under her shirt so I can stroke her hair.

"I like you." She says with a grin. She looks me deep in the eyes, resting her hands on my cheeks. "I like you a _lot_."

"I think you're okay." I grin back, stopping to peck her lips. "I love you." I whisper against them, lifting her shirt slightly.

"I love you too, Will." She replies, caressing my cheek with her thumb. "Should we talk about what happens after we're done staying here?"

"Sh," I say, pecking her lips again. "Tomorrow. I don't want to ruin this moment."

"…How did you not realize that I was the person Johnny kept talking about?" She asks, laying her forehead on mine.

"First of all, he couldn't remember your name." I say, lifting her shirt up a little further. "I know that sounds ridiculous. It is. Sometimes we called you "Whatsername." He talked about you a lot."

"Oh." She says, kissing my shoulder. "But I told you stuff about him. Couldn't you have put it together?"

"He lied about you. He said some really shitty things. At the time I just thought they were true and laughed. Now I can't believe he would even think of doing that. You're perfect."

"Nobody's perfect, Will."

"But you are. I'm not trying to pressure you to act a certain why or anything, but everything you do is perfect. And if you really don't like that, that's okay. But you _are_ perfect for me."

"I love you," She whispers, kissing me deeply as soon as the words leave her lips.

I grin, pulling her shirt over her torso. She breaks the kiss to get it off her head, grinning at me. I pull my shirt off as well, leaning forward to kiss her again.

"What if they hear us?" She whispers with a smile playing at her lips.

I kiss down her jawbone and neck, nipping at a few spots. I laugh softly at what she said, unclasping her bra quickly as I kiss along her collar bone.

"I can be quiet."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

I gently touch Krystina's streak of pink hair, tucking it behind her ear. I kiss the crown of her head, closing my eyes.

"Good morning." She says softly, running her fingers over my bare chest. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," I say, laying my chin on top of her head. "And you?"

She nods slowly, wrapping her arms around my torso.

"It's been four days." She tells me quietly. "I think I can promise you two weeks."

"I'll take it." I whisper, frowning slightly. I'm scared of what will happen to our relationship if she leaves without me.

"And then we can figure out where we're going." She whispers, her voice cracking slightly. "You could always stay with me, Will. I know you have Elton, but you could come back a lot. Shit… Am I really asking you to choose to stay with me over your son? I sound insane…"

"Krystina, I understand. And I want that, I really do. I'm just scared Heather will take him away from me. I should talk to her about it."

"We've been together for a month." She says, burying her head in my chest. "We don't have to rush anything. I shouldn't be asking you to live with me or whatever."  
"What?" I ask, eyes wide.

"See? I'm a crazy person!" She rolls onto her back quickly.

"No! I was just surprised. I didn't know if you'd want to keep seeing me after all this shit…"

"I love you. Remember that, okay?" She asks quietly, and I pull her into my arms, kissing her forehead.

"Always." I whisper.

* * *

"Tunny's proposing to Jillian tonight, so he wants us out of the apartment for a little while. Probably long enough for them to, you know." I say, laying my head on Krystina's shoulder.

It's later in the evening now, and we've pretty much been sitting around all day. But, I love it.

"That's fine." She says absentmindedly, staring at the TV.

"Heather said we can hang around at her place. Unless you want to stay with Johnny." I say, raising my eyebrows. I have a feeling she's not listening to me. I mostly say it just to get her attention, but she glares up at me immediately.

"Fuck off. I'm fine." She stands up, pulling her hand away from mine.

I sigh, getting to my feet as well. She pushes past me, heading straight for the door.

"…Okay." I frown, following after her.

She opens the door and walks out without holding it for me. I hesitate before going after her. I can be such a fucking idiot. Stupid fucking Johnny.

I obviously need to own up to the fact that I'm not making things much better by mentioning it all the time, but it really bugs me. And I feel like we really need to talk through it. But it makes Krystina extremely… Pissed off. I guess I can't win there. I should just forget about it. It really shouldn't matter. She hadn't met me yet, and none of us could have known that she and I were meant for each other. I guess I'm mostly just worried that her feelings for him will come back. I would never tell her that, though. I'm not _that_ stupid.

"Hey. _Hey._" I say when I finally reach Krystina. I pull her against me and gently brush my lips across her temple. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I don't know why I said that, but I shouldn't have. Please forgive me."

She takes a deep breath, letting herself lean into me, but she doesn't wrap her arms around me.

"I already told you that he fucked me up. Just seeing him was scary, Will. Please don't act like there's anything left there. I never even wanted to see him again."

"And you don't have to, Krys. Never again." I promise, pulling her against me.

She mumbles something, then very slowly wraps her arms around me.

"That's better." I say, and I pull her as close as I can.

* * *

"So, I'm kind of trying to chill out right now. Get a couple gigs here and there; build up a fan-base." Alex says, leaning back in his chair. "Nothing too serious, you know. It's all about the music, anyway. When it happens, it _happens_."

I look at Krystina, who's definitely holding back a laugh. She nods, squeezing my hand.

"I figure that all this experience and struggle will really help me _grow_ as an artist, and as a person. Heather always says that she loves to see me happy, and this all really makes me happy. It's not very practical, but I'm making a living. I even have my own family now. I mean, that can make it harder, but I'm not giving up."

"Um… Aren't Heather and Elton kind of Will's family?" Krystina asks, sitting up slightly.

"Well, him too. But I fully consider myself another father to Elton. And being a good father is really important to me."

"I'm glad you had this sudden change of heart with _my_ son." I say sarcastically, but Alex doesn't catch it. He's too wrapped up in talking about himself with someone new.

"I know." He nods, looking at Krystina. "So, if you want an album of mine or anything, I can get you a discount."

Krystina laughs softly, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. No, that's okay." She says, digging her nails into my hand. I grin widely.

"Well, you should come to one of my shows." Alex continues, unfazed. "I bet you would really like it. Heather said you do something with bands for work?"

"Yeah, I just sort of help them get publicity and stuff." She mumbles, looking down.

"That probably doesn't make you very much money." Alex comments plainly, and I glare at him.

"I have rich parents." Krystina deadpans, playing with my fingers.

"You could help me with that stuff if you wanted. I probably couldn't pay you for it _now_, but I could get you in on an I-owe-you thing, you know, for when my career really takes off."

"Oh, no." She says, leaning against me. "I'm not _staying_ in Jingletown. Just visiting. I wanted to meet Will's son."

Heather walks into the room, carrying Elton.

"Hey, sweetheart?" Alex starts immediately, turning slightly to look at her. "Can you get me a beer?"

"We're out of beer." Heather says, sitting on a chair at the table.

Alex sighs deeply, looking at her. "That would have been nice to know when I went to the store today."

"I didn't think about it." Heather mutters, gently setting Elton down.

He begins to crawl around the table, making incoherent noises. I grin, watching him closely.

"I can go to the 7Eleven and get some." Krystina offers quickly.

"…I can give you some money for it." Heather says, standing up to go into the kitchen.

"Do you need to borrow my car?" Alex asks, sitting forward slightly.

"Nah, we took Tunny's. He didn't need it." I tell him, not wanting him to get into a rant about how "nice" his car is.

"Here," Heather says, handing Krystina a ten and twenty dollar bill when she gets back.

"We shouldn't be too long." I say as I begin to stand, but Heather quickly ushers me back down.

"No, I need you to stay. I've been watching Elton all day. I need a break. I need to, like, rest my feet and watch The Bachelor."

"…Is that okay?" I ask Krystina, biting my lip.

"It's fine, Will. I should be back soon." She stands up and I stand with her, kissing the crown of her head.

"I love you." I say, slowly letting her move out of my arms.

"God damn it," She replies, grinning from ear to ear. "I love you too."

* * *

Ten minutes after Krystina left, Alex went to their bedroom for a nap, leaving Heather and I sitting uncomfortably on their couch, watching our son crawl to his heart's content.

"…Why are you so much better to her than you were to me?" She asks all of the sudden, her voice cracking. She's on the verge of tears. "Why do you love her more?"

"Heather… I'm so sorry. I can't help it or explain it. She's just the one for me." I frown, glancing at her quickly.

"I was _so_ good to you, Will. I did almost everything right." She frowns, wiping at her eyes. "And you treated me like absolute shit. You, like, fucking kiss the ground she walks on. You've known her for a month. That's not fair."

"Heather, I know I was shitty. But it was all for the best. We both found better people, right?" I lean forward, looking her in the eyes.

"…Alex used to be so nice to everyone." Heather whispers, looking away quickly. "I think he's a dick because he hates it here. He hates being stuck in this small town. And I don't think he likes Elton very much, Will. He just… Wants to seem deep."

"So you _can_ see it?" I grin, nudging her slightly. "So kick him out! Kick him to the curb. We would all thank you, Heather, trust me."

I hear her quickly draw in a breath and my smile falls. Heather's really crying, like, _sobbing_. I frown, wrapping an arm around her.

"Heather, it's okay." I whisper, biting my lip.

"He's the only person who still likes me" She mumbles, closing her eyes.

"That's not true." I say quickly. "Everybody likes you."

"No one else will want to be with me." She lets out a sob, burying her face in my chest.

"I know for a _fact_ that someone will, Heather." I tell her, gently stroking her hair. "Believe me, you do not have to settle."

"Okay." She says after a few minutes.

* * *

Krystina doesn't come back. Though she promised it would only be a little while, she doesn't come back. And it really freaks me out.

I call her cell phone a million times with no luck. I finally resort to calling Tunny to see if he's heard anything from her.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry but have you-" I start as soon as he picks up, but he interrupts me.

"She was just here. She packed up all her stuff and had Jillian take her to the bus station." He says, and I frown, sitting down.

"…Why would she do that?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know. She seemed pretty freaked out about something. I didn't ask a lot of questions." He pauses, taking a breath. "I'm really sorry."

"…Did it ruin your night?" I ask, tugging on my hair.

"No, we were just… Holding each other. I haven't asked yet. I'm really freaking out about it." He confesses.

"…Okay." I respond, and then I hang up the phone.

I have no idea what happened.

* * *

I can't do anything for the next few days. I can hardly eat and hardly sleep. I can't get out of bed. My heart really fucking hurts.

Krystina left with no explanation. She won't return my calls or my texts. And I don't even know what I did.

I have to try my hardest not to cry about it, even though I know I could. She was everything to me, and now she's gone. Gone. Just like that. The one thing in my life I was doing right, gone. And I might never see her again. How is that fair?

Finally, Jillian _makes_ me get out of bed. She says she can't let me ruin myself again.

I tell her that without Krystina, I'm already ruined.

But, at least I try. I go out for walks and I don't always start freaking out as soon as I start thinking about her. But my God, does it hurt. It's even worse that I don't understand why she had to go.

One day, when I'm walking aimlessly along the sidewalks, I bump into Johnny.

"Hey, man, I'm _really_ sorry about what I did." He says as soon as he sees me. "I don't know what came over me. I was just thinking about how happy I was when I was with her and I-"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I ask.

"Krystina didn't tell you I kissed her?" He frowns, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "She came into the 7Eleven the other night and we started talking and I just couldn't help it. She fucking freaked out and stormed out and shit. I assumed she was going straight to you."

I groan, running my hands through my hair and tugging on it.

"You _fucking idiot_." I say, closing my eyes. "She just left me that night, without any explanation. I thought I fucking did something wrong… You piece of shit." I spit, tugging harder on my hair. "She was the one thing I wasn't going to mess up. That's not fucking _fair_."

"I swear I didn't mean for that to happen." Johnny says quickly.

"Just fucking forget it." I say, turning to walk away. "I have to go."

* * *

I take a bus to the city as soon as I possibly can, and then I take a cab straight to Krystina's apartment. I really hope she's home, otherwise this somewhat romantic gesture might end up meaning nothing.

I knock on her door quickly, feeling my heart flutter in my chest. Hopefully I can fix this. Otherwise, I don't know how I'm going to live with myself.

After a few moments, she opens it, standing before me in her underwear.

…Will." She says, biting her lip.

I step forward, pressing my mouth to hers. I lay my hands on her cheeks, closing my eyes. I kiss her passionately, desperately, not pulling away until I absolutely have to so that I can breathe.

"I'm so sorry." She says as soon as I've pulled away. Her eyes are watering slightly. "I love you."

"It's okay." I say, pulling her close to me. "Just please don't leave me again."

"I won't." She promises, laying her chin on my shoulder. "But… Can you stay here with me for a while?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I do not own American Idiot.

This morning, I wake up to the rhythm of Krystina's quiet breathing. Her chest slowly rises and falls beside me, reminding me that today, I am exactly where I need to be. I feel a satisfying swelling in my chest as I lean over, pulling her into my arms. I can't believe I've been staying with her for a whole week. It's been amazing. Ever since I met this girl, I've been having the time of my life.

"Are you awake?" She whispers as I gently lay my hand on her stomach from behind.

"Yeah," I admit, nuzzling my cheek against hers. "How did you sleep?"  
"It was nice." She says, and I feel her start to smile. "Do you want to meet some of my friends?"

I keep my eyes closed. I didn't really know if Krystina had any close friends to introduce me too, not that it matters. But I know I would do anything if it made her happy.

"Sure." I respond, kissing down her neck. She lets out a quick sigh, leaning into me.

"We should probably… Get up, get dressed…" She moans softly as I suck on a spot on her neck. "Or something."

I laugh, sucking harder before I begin to kiss back up to her lips.

"Yeah," I grin, now holding myself above her. "_Or something_."

* * *

"This is Gabe, Scott, and Jen." Krystina introduces me to some of her friends that night, smiling softly. "Guys, this is my boyfriend, Will."

I smile and shake their hands, a feeling of pride smothering my chest. Just hearing her call me her boyfriend makes me feels things I never thought I could.

"You should feel lucky." Jen says, looking me in the eyes. "She hasn't dated since last year. No matter how hard we tried."

"But there _was_ that guy." Scott says, glancing at Krystina. "She needed time."

Jen pauses, looking at Scott for a minute. "Right, but. It wasn't that fun to watch her mope around for months."

Scott nods, rolls his eyes, and turns. "I'm going to go get a drink."

We're at a concert that Krystina has been working on all week. Apparently she's known all the guys in the band since college, and they're supposed to be really good. But, they haven't started playing yet.

"We even tried to set her up with Scott, but she wasn't having any of it." Jen tells me, and I notice Gabe wrap an arm around her waist. "We were starting to think she was totally hopeless."

"Well, I'm glad she was holding out for me." I say quietly, squeezing Krystina's hand. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"You're really cute." Jen says after a moment, leaning into Gabe. "Where are you from?"

"Uh, Jingletown, I guess." I say, playing with Krystina's hand.

"Wow, I've never even heard of it. That's so cool. What do you do?"

"Um," I start, glancing at Krystina. "I have a son."

For some reason, I really don't want her friends to think I'm a total loser, so that's all I say.

"Geez." Is all Jen says, and then she turns to whisper something to Gabe.

Scott comes back with a beer in hand, watching Krystina with sad eyes. I tighten my grip on her hand, feeling something strange. He seems… Jealous. Maybe he's not really, but it seems like he really doesn't care for me and really, really cares about Krystina.

"So, how did you two meet?" Jen asks.

Scott tilts his head back and takes a swig.

* * *

"I thought there'd be some insane after party." I say as Krystina and I walk down the sidewalk, towards her apartment.

Her friends are going to meet us there to hang out after they've picked up some beer and shit. Although I don't say anything, I'd rather just have some time alone with Krystina. But, she did all this for me. And it was even worse because of Johnny.

"Well, sometimes there is, but they knew I wanted them to meet you tonight, so." She says, leaning into me. "I love you."

I stop her quickly, leaning down to press my lips to hers. I kiss her deeply, laying a hand on her cheek, closing my eyes gently. I don't want to stop; I don't know if I can.

After what seems like not long enough, she pulls away, exhaling quickly. Her eyes meet mine and we stay like that, just looking at each other while I caress her cheek for a long time.

"I love you too." I say.

"I know."

* * *

Later that night, I'm introduced to Krystina's friends from the band: Dan, Larkin, Joshua, and Jake. They're accompanied by Jen, Gabe, and Scott. I notice that Jake and Scott quickly take the spots beside Krystina on the couch, while Larkin and Dan watch her closely. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seems like there's something more going on there.

I try to subtly mention that I am, in fact, her boyfriend, but I can barely get a word in. They all already know each other and have inside jokes and important things to say. I wonder if Krystina felt this out of place in Jingletown. I hope not.

So, instead I watch everything from a chair at the side of the room, trying to take note of what everyone is like. It seems to me the only people not drooling over Krystina are Jen and Gabe, seeing as they're too busy drooling over each other. And, as much as it annoys me, it's also kind of… cool. Obviously Krystina could be with a number of different, more interesting people, but she only feels right with me. That's really good.

I try to hang onto that thought as five pairs of puppy dog eyes carefully watch my girlfriend's every move. But, it's too hard. Eventually I pretend to be really drunk and excuse myself to the bedroom to lay down.

After ten minutes of staring at the ceiling, Krystina walks in, gently closing the door.

"You haven't even had one drink." She says softly as she comes to sit on the edge of the bed.

"It's just… A lot. I'm sorry I made you do this." I reply, reaching for her hand.

"I liked it. Your friends were nice to me." She sighs, tucks some hair behind her ear. "You know, I don't even have a best friend."

I look at her before squeezing her hand gently. "That's okay. Lots of people don't."

"But most people do. Or they at least they have someone they can talk to. I can't tell anyone anything. They don't even listen to me." She says it softly, and I think she might be holding back tears. "And you have two different best friends and all these people who care about you. I can even get one of my friends to ask how I'm doing."

I sit up, pulling her close.

"No, that's not true. I have _you_. You're my best friend, and you can tell me anything. I'll always listen." I kiss across her shoulder, closing my eyes.

Her eyes well with tears, but she wipes them away before they can fall.

"I love you, and I love that, but it would be nice to have someone else." She whispers, burying her head in my neck. "I'm not saying you aren't enough. But I want more."

I nod, gently stroking her hair. "Maybe you need different friends, then. If they're stupid enough to mistreat you."

"…I knew Jillian for less than a week and she was nicer to me than anyone in there." Krystina admits, lifting her head slightly. "And Tunny was too. Even Heather wasn't completely shitty. How'd you get so lucky?"

"I got lucky when I met you, Krystina." I kiss her forehead, running my fingers through her hair. "Do all your friends like you or something?" I ask hesitantly after a few moments, looking away from her.

She laughs, nudging me slightly.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

* * *

I can't help but feel like something is off about Krystina's friends. Like it's plainly obvious to anyone but her that they're undeserving of her presence. I never once see them specifically ask her about her life or how she's doing. And, after I notice this, I make sure to give her extra attention at all times.

It isn't hard, though. The more time I spend with her, staying with her, falling asleep and waking up beside her, the more I fall in love with everything about her. She is everything for me. And I can't let go.

So I spend a lot of time with her and her friends. I witness a lot of lustful stares sent in her direction. I see them make it very clear they barely know anything about her. And I force myself to say nothing about it, even though I desperately want to. She deserves so much better.

But they are her friends. She didn't tell me to change mine, even when my best friend turned out to be her ex boyfriend. And there's no way that Krystina doesn't see reason. She's the smartest person I know. She has to understand what's happening.

But it still hurts to watch. Like today, we're eating lunch with Jen and Gabe. And, every time Krystina tries to open her mouth, Jen talks over her. Gabe barely says anything, and spends most of his time staring at Jen. I keep a hand just above Krystina's knee, breathing evenly. I just want to hear her voice. I want them to let her fucking talk already.

"…How long have you two been together now?" Jen asks, looking at us.

It actually takes me a minute to realize she's actually talking to us. I look at Krystina, biting my lip. I know exactly how long we've been dating, because every minute has been the best of my life. But, I don't want to seem like a douche bag.

"A little over two months, I think." Krystina offers, laying her hand over mine. A smile spreads across her face as she watches our handles wrap around each other. "I love you." She whispers, this time only for me to hear.

I move, kissing her temple, whispering it back near her ear. It suddenly feels weird to have Jen and Gabe watching us. I quickly pull away, keeping her hand in mine.

"Gabe and I have been together for six months now." Jen informs me, and I roll my eyes. "Krystina actually introduced us, at this concert. We knew we fit together right away, I swear."

"You must owe Krys a lot, then." I mutter.

"It was a lot more to do with fate, I think." Jen says, and I groan, unable to take it anymore.

I stand up, storming out of the restaurant. I hear Jen ask Krystina if I'm okay just before I make it out of the door. I stuff my hands into my coat pockets, turning to face the street. It really isn't fair, how they treat her. I can't imagine anyone not wanting that girl to feel like she's the most important person in the world. Because she is. She's perfect.

After a minute, Krys appears beside me, not looking at me. She decides to stare at the street as well, and we're silent. I try to think of how I can say what I'm feeling without hurting her. I really don't want to cause her any pain.

"…They shouldn't act like that to you." I finally mumble. "Doesn't it just piss you off?"

"That's just how she is." Krystina responds quietly.

"You deserve so much more." I whisper, reaching for her. I pull her against me, breathing in deeply. "You deserve everything."

"And you are everything. I don't care if they act…Differently than your friends. You've known your friends forever. I've known these people for a few years at the most. I might not remember them in a few more. Please don't worry. Just try to pretend like you like them, or whatever. Okay?"

"…Okay. But only for you."

* * *

My phone rings from its place in my pocket as I'm lying in Krystina's bed that night. She's working on some flyers in the kitchen, and seemed too preoccupied for anything I had in mind. So, I decided to head to bed early so I would be able to force myself out of bed in the morning and go to work.

I pull it out of my pocket, looking at the screen. _JOHNNY_. Shit.

I pick up, clearing my throat.

"Hey."

"So you are alive!" Is his response as I think I hear him laugh into the phone. "It's been weeks. You haven't called anyone. We miss you."

"Uh…" I start, unsure of what to say.

"Big news, _big_ news." Johnny says, and I shift to sit up. "But I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."

He covers the receiver lazily, because I can hear every word as he asks Tunny if he wants to talk to me. Tunny says yes, and suddenly he talks into the speaker.

"I did it." He says, happiness lining his voice. It takes me a minute to realize what "it" is, but when I do, I grin.

"She said yes?" I ask eagerly, now fully sitting up.

"She fucking cried and everything. She loved the ring, too. She said she almost didn't even want to get a real one."

"Congrats." I say, closing my eyes. "I'm really happy for you two."

"How is it going over there?" He asks immediately.

I frown, telling him everything. I let it spill out of me, not realizing that he might not have wanted the long answer. I tell him about Krystina's friends, and how they aren't right for her, and how sad it makes me. I even tell him what she told me the first night I met them, about how she doesn't have a best friend.

He's quiet for a long time before he takes a deep breath.

"I think… Look, I think maybe you should, if you want to be with her forever, you should bring her back here. Because everyone who met her really likes her. Jillian tells me she misses both of you every day. And I know you won't be happy watching that every day."

"…I'll see what I can do." Is all I say, inhaling deeply. "I should probably go."

"Okay. I hope you come back soon, Will." He replies.

I nod, telling him I'll try, and then I hang up, looking at my phone.

I hesitate before dialing Heather's number, holding the phone right against my ear, listening to each ring. I want to make sure she's okay and maybe talk to Elton.

But, after a few rings, her answering machine picks up, and the recording of her voice tells me she went off to some audition with Alex and won't be able to get back to anyone for a few weeks. Without thinking, I quickly throw my phone to the side. It smacks the wall, dropping to the ground. Definitely broken. But, I don't care.

Suddenly, Krystina comes into the room, frowning.

"What happened?" She asks softly.

"I threw my phone." I admit quietly, looking up at you. "Just shit with Heather. Did you finish?"

She nods, bites her lip.

"Jillian called me." She says, not sure if she believes it herself. "She just… Called me to talk to me. And she told me that Tunny asked her to marry him with a little plastic ring. And she said she missed me." She sits beside me, confusion filling her face. "Is that… Is that normal?"

I grin, pulling her into my arms, kissing along her temple and her jaw line, suddenly realizing that not _all_ of Krystina's friends are so bad.

"Krys, that's what friends do."


End file.
